Rickie Fowler’s Friday at Pebble Beach looked a lot like the version of himself he’s been working to reclaim. A sizzling second-round 64 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am left him just one shot off the lead, reinforcing an encouraging early-season trend as he opened 2026 with his third strong showing in as many starts.
Just as important as the number on the scorecard was how Fowler felt getting there. The shoulder issue that lingered through much of last season, he said, is no longer a concern, freeing him to swing aggressively and play without hesitation. With his confidence building and his body finally cooperating, the six-time PGA Tour winner eyed Saturday as an opportunity to make a statement — and put himself squarely in position for a Sunday run at the title.
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“My shoulder was bad all last year, so I was just trying to manage and get through as best that I could. I definitely earned the time off with sneaking inside that top-50, so that was a nice bonus,” Fowler said. “So that was what I was trying to work towards to, like I said, earn that time off and then be able to get into a position where I could get the body in a better spot and go play this year.”
And although he had a pair of bogeys in his first five holes on Saturday, he also posted two birdies, including this long putt that kept him near the top of the leaderboard.
But all it took was one hole at storied Pebble Beach to knock Fowler well back into the pack on Saturday.
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On the picturesque sixth hole, one of the many that hugs the coastline at Pebble Beach, Fowler’s drive drifted right, a problem since the ocean sits just off the fairway. Since the hole is a par-5, Fowler dropped and still had a chance to salvage something on the 548-yard hole.
Feb 13, 2026; Pebble Beach, California, USA; Rickie Fowler hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament at Spyglass Hill Golf Course. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
But on his next shot, Fowler did the same thing, watching as the ball leaned out over the water and didn’t come back.
Fowler did manage a double-bogey after dropping an 11-foot putt, but he slid well down the leaderboard at 12 over for the tournament.
Interestingly enough, Pebble Beach has not been kind to Fowler, who has missed the cut in two of his previous five appearances at the AT&T event, and still doesn’t have a top-20 finish here.
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“I mean, I love it up here, especially when we get weather like this. It would be nice if the Sunday weather maybe holds off or isn’t as bad as what it might be,” Fowler said on Friday. “It’s a fun place, I really enjoy playing both Spy and Pebble. Yeah, they’re tough to beat. Looking forward to getting out there this weekend and continuing some hopefully stress-free golf, keep it simple and see if we can get it done.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Rickie Fowler’s Pebble Beach hopes sink after shots out of bounds
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